Message from the chair

Steve WatkinsInterim Chair of electrical and computer engineering

Electrical and computer engineers (ECE) are responsible for many of the technologies that drive our modern society. If it deals with electricity or computers, we’re probably involved, but we do much more than that, too. We work with renewable energy, electric and/or autonomous vehicles, wireless communications, smartphones, integrated circuits, intelligent machines, factory automation, radar systems, electronic sensors, healthcare, computer networks, embedded computer systems and more. Our graduates use their degrees to become doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, CEOs and even astronauts. I’ve often heard that electrical or computer engineering is a “degree of opportunity,” not only because of the strong job prospects in the fields, but because of the enormous variety of jobs one might take on.

Students interested in pursuing ECE at Missouri S&T can receive a B.S., M.S. or Ph.D. in electrical engineering or computer engineering. In addition to courses on our main campus in Rolla, we offer undergraduate classes in Springfield as part of a cooperative program with Missouri State University. We also offer live-streamed distance classes to students who wish to pursue graduate certificates or a master degree through our top-ranked distance education programs. With 36 faculty, around 500 undergraduates, 200 M.S. and Ph.D. students, and research and teaching space spanning multiple buildings, our department has the resources and breadth to give you a first-rate education while solving your most complex research problems.

As a university, our mission is to educate our future leaders in engineering and to help solve some of the world’s greatest technical challenges. To that end, our department hosts some of the country’s top researchers in their areas, including power systems design, drives and renewable energy, computational intelligence, smart manufacturing, wireless control networks, electromagnetic compatibility, micro-/millimeter-wave non-destructive testing, and optical sensors. Our faculty collectively participate in well over 100 funded research grants each year.

We’re well known for our practical, hands-on approach to solving problems that impact the bottom line, so it is no surprise we attract strong support from industry. More than half of our department’s research funding comes from industry partners, including Boeing, Honeywell, Cisco, IBM, Apple, Google, Sony, John Deere, Ford, Intel and Nucor Steel. We also receive substantial support from federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Health, NASA, Department of Energy, Department of Education, and the Army and the Navy. The breadth and depth of our research not only helps to create technology that makes our world a better place, but it drives our undergraduate and graduate curricula, it creates a better educational experience for our students, and it establishes partnerships and training resources that give our students better opportunities when they graduate.

Please explore our website to learn more about our programs, faculty and campus, and how we can help you realize your aspirations. Feel free to contact us with any questions you might have – we’re glad to help. I look forward to welcoming you to Missouri S&T!